


Combat Model

by RensSaxophone



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:01:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22982161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensSaxophone/pseuds/RensSaxophone
Relationships: Ichinose Tokiya/Kurosaki Ranmaru
Kudos: 8





	Combat Model

There were three main species. 

The highest ranking of all of them were the humans. The humans acted like Gods and were treated as such- and while they had the least amount in numbers, they certainly didn’t act like it. Humans didn’t have to lift a finger. All they did was sit back in their luxuries states, watch their lessers do all of the work, breed and give orders. They took most of the Earth for themselves, leaving only small parts of it for their lessers. 

These lessers were robots. Humanoid robots, told apart by their special outfits, and shiny collars. There were rankings among the robots as well, and the higher the ranking the more individuality the robots were gifted- but there were types. The combat models had their specific uniforms, as well as the medical models, the translator models, the education models and every model inbetween. The collars were a reminder, because if a collar is set off, it can do everything from hack into the model to shutting it down completely and for good. It’s a reminder to each model that they aren’t the ones with the control. 

The last are the robots that have rebelled. The ones that refused to be leashed and ordered around. They typically hide out, because they’re looked down on by robots and humans alike. These robots weren’t even given names. It’s a well known order to every collared robot that they are to kill any robot that isn’t wearing a collar. An uncollared robot is considered a threat- enough to be considered an emergency. Any human that sees one would call them in to be disposed of. They’re referred to as criminals. They’re the only criminals there are- because when humans are pampered and idolized, and violence against robots only matters when an uncollared hurts a collared one, there aren’t any criminal humans. 

Tokiya and Ranmaru were both collared robots. Ranmaru was a combat model, one of the highest ranking robots there were. He had near free reign, he didn’t have any specific human to follow or listen to or be ordered around by- his only real job was to answer calls and take care of criminals. 

Tokiya was a far lower ranking. Bottom of the barrel kind of ranking, where he would be punished for speaking poorly to another robot. He was a repair model, the type of model that shadowed higher ranking robots to take care of and maintenance them. 

Tokiya had been assigned to Ranmaru. Tokiya had been created after Ranmaru. Ranmaru had multiple lower ranked partner robots before, but Ranmaru would be Tokiya’s one and only partner. 

“You’re not gonna last a week.” Ranmaru would have grunted, looking at Tokiya with an annoyed look. “Dunno why they’d pair _you_ with _me_. ‘M not gonna stick my neck out for you either, so don’t think any ‘a this is gonna be easy.”

Tokiya would have had no idea why Ranmaru was so _hostile_ towards him, but he simply would have nodded. 

And now, two years later, Tokiya was Ranmaru’s longest lasting robot partner, and they had brought new meaning to the word _partner_. It wasn’t uncommon for relationships to form among robots, so long as it didn’t affect their jobs. It never hurt Ranmaru’s job, and it only strengthened Tokiya’s. 

Like today. When Ranmaru would have been injured by a rogue criminal. Ranmaru had been focused on the collarless man he had seen, and Tokiya hadn’t caught the collarless woman until she had already hurt Ranmaru. Ranmaru had taken both of them out, even with one of his arms no longer responding, but Tokiya had been panicking. As soon as the battle had ended, Tokiya had found somewhere safe. Maintenancing him away from base was difficult, but Ranmaru was in pain. 

Tokiya had Ranmaru leaned against a rock in an out of the way alcove, with Tokiya closest to the opening of it, guarding Ranmaru. Ranmaru would have caught Tokiya’s wrist, when Tokiya’s hand would have gotten close to Ranmaru, and Ranmaru’s expression is serious, tired and stern. “Oi.” Tokiya would look at him, with an almost doe-eyed look. Normally, Tokiya was calm. Right now, Tokiya was on the verge of tears. “Get that look off ‘a your face.”

“You could have me deactivated for this, Ran.” Tokiya’s voice is weak. “You _should_.”

“Shut up.” Ranmaru’s eyes would narrow, and his voice is a command. Tokiya still looks upset, but he wouldn’t speak. “I messed up, too. Should’a seen her comin’, or kept my guard up more. You’re not a combat model, Toki. _What?_ ”

Tokiya would set his jaw, his eyebrows lowering. “I’ve been with you for years. It doesn’t matter what I was built for, I should be better at helping you. But you should stay still- I need to fix you.” 

Ranmaru would catch his hand again. “Not off station, you aren’t.”

“You’re hurt, and I’m fixing you.” Tokiya’s voice is strained. It’s hard to fight against Ranmaru, but when it comes to his health and safety, Tokiya would. It wasn’t as if he’d be punished- Ranmaru wouldn’t. Even though sometimes Tokiya thinks that he should. 

“I can make it back. If you fix me, you can’t.” Ranmaru’s glare hasn’t lightened. “Not that I should be the one reminding you.”

“I’m going to manage. Now lean back.” Tokiya would flip his hand before Ranmaru could stop him, holding Ranmaru’s hand down. Tokiya would use his free hand to press a spot below Ranmaru’s jaw, before Ranmaru could argue, and Ranmaru’s face would soften and go blank, his eyes closing and his body slumping. Tokiya had managed to catch his hand, and he’d lower it gently to the ground. 

Fixing Ranmaru required a lot of energy, especially away from any sources, so Tokiya would have to use his own. Tokiya would get to work, trying to be quick about it. He would have to do much more when they got back to base, but Tokiya’s goal at the moment was to get Ranmaru’s arm working again. When he finally has Ranmaru’s arm repaired, he’s exhausted. There’s more that he would like to do, but he’s going to have to wait. He’d close the panel on Ranmaru’s arm that he had opened to work on, and he’d take a second, slumping over, onto Ranmaru’s chest. Ranmaru was powered off, and Tokiya couldn’t regain any energy without being back at base, but he’d still take a moment, holding onto Ranmaru. 

Ranmaru wasn’t going to be happy when Tokiya powered him back on. Ranmaru hated it when Tokiya powered him off, but Tokiya didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t the function of the arm itself that Tokiya was worried about, because no matter how long Ranmaru went without use of it, Tokiya could still fix it and make it good as new- but so long as it was useless, Ranmaru would feel that. Tokiya would give himself a few long minutes, sitting in Ranmaru’s lap, leaned against his chest. His hand is raised, resting on the side of Ranmaru’s neck, and Tokiya would close his eyes. 

Tokiya wasn’t sure exactly how Ranmaru was going to react. It likely depended on how well Tokiya hid how much energy he had lost- because if Ranmaru knew that Tokiya could walk back fine, Tokiya would spend most of the walk back with Ranmaru in an angry silence until Ranmaru could get back and go off on Tokiya about being stupid and reckless. If Ranmaru thought that Tokiya couldn’t walk back by himself, he’d likely end up forcing his care on Tokiya, and the lecture likely wouldn’t wait until they were in private. Tokiya would sigh, and he’d push himself up. His first mistake would actually be his positioning in waking Ranmaru up- because he’s straddling Ranmaru’s lap. It was a prime position for Ranmaru to trap him, reacting quickly when he’s powered back on, with his hands moving to Tokiya’s waist to hold him still. 

Ranmaru was much stronger than Tokiya was. Tokiya’s escape chance was gone the moment Ranmaru had touched him, and they both knew it. Ranmaru’s angry look had returned, the glare so much different from the soft expression he wore when he was off. Ranmaru would glance at his arm, and his anger turns different- he almost seems livid. It takes only a moment for Ranmaru to shift, knocking Tokiya on his ass and hovering over him. Tokiya’s back was pressed to the other side of the alcove, Ranmaru now on top of him, trapping him with an arm on either side of him, pressed to the wall. 

“What would you ‘ve done if you overheated, or turned yourself off?” Ranmaru’s voice is dangerous. “I was tryin’ ‘t stop you from a simple fix. If I would’a fuckin’ thought that you’d go all out, I would have never let you get close ‘t me.”

“If I would have turned myself off, you would have been fine. You’d turn back on in an hour, or if anyone else had gotten near you. And I’m not that reckless, Ran. I’d never overexert myself enough to put you in danger. If I power you off, I’ll be the one to power you back on.” Tokiya’s voice is just a bit too tired. Tokiya’s hand would lift, but Ranmaru is very fast to catch it, before Tokiya can get his fingers near Ranmaru’s temple. 

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare get into my head right now. You’ve used more than enough energy right now, Tokiya.”

“Then will you at least let me know that the pain is gone?”

“You know it is.” Ranmaru would scowl. “You wouldn’t be this tired if it wasn’t.”

“We should get back to base. There’s no point in staying here any longer.” Tokiya’s voice would get quiet. Ranmaru would let go of Tokiya’s hand, and his hands would drop, to find Tokiya’s waist. He’d lift him, throwing him over his shoulder. 

“Don’t say a word right now, Tokiya.” Ranmaru’s voice is more than a warning. Tokiya would even call it a threat. Tokiya would listen to him. 

Ranmaru would walk back to their ship, dropping Tokiya into the passenger seat and buckling him in before he takes the pilot seat, not bothering with his own restraints. Normally, Tokiya was the pilot. It was part of his job- but Ranmaru was angry, and Tokiya had no intentions to make him angrier by fighting him on this. The ride back is quiet. 

Tokiya would have gotten himself unbuckled while Ranmaru was distracted with landing, and he’d have stood before Ranmaru could. Tokiya’s body feels heavy and unresponsive, but he was more than willing to push through it. Tokiya is surprised to see the anger in Ranmaru’s expression when he turns towards Tokiya. 

It wasn’t the anger itself that was shocking, it was the pure amount that was there. Ranmaru was always annoyed when Tokiya did this- when Tokiya didn’t listen to him, and made a reckless decision like this. But he seemed so… livid. Tokiya definitely had gone further than he normally did today, but he still didn’t expect that level of anger. 

“Sit back down.” Ranmaru’s voice is flat, and Tokiya would listen to him before he even realized he had, sinking back into the seat obediently. Ranmaru would pick him up from the chair after a very long moment of looking at him, finally throwing Tokiya back over his shoulder. Ranmaru would go into his own room, which would make Tokiya nervous. Ranmaru did need to be fixed- he wasn’t completely healed yet. He still had minor injuries, and Tokiya would really like to check Ranmaru and make sure his vitals were still alright, but Tokiya knew that Ranmaru wasn’t bringing Tokiya to his room to give Tokiya a chance to do that. 

Tokiya would try to argue again when Ranmaru would lay Tokiya down in his bed and would hook Tokiya up to Ranmaru’s machine. It wasn’t necessarily specifically paired to Ranmaru, but Tokiya was really the only one that used it- to help with Ranmaru’s healing. Ranmaru’s look would get Tokiya to reconsider and change what he’d say to Ranmaru. “It’s not that bad, Ran. Why are you acting like this?”

Ranmaru would lean down, his lips near Tokiya’s ear, and his tone is hard to describe. It’s flat, low, angry and dangerous. “You’re smoking.”

“What?” Tokiya’s eyes would widen, and he’d move to sit up, but Ranmaru would push him back down. 

“It’s coming from the back ‘a your neck. You probably fucking blew something, trying to fix me.” Ranmaru sounds absolutely pissed. Tokiya is starting to understand more. He definitely hadn’t even _blown_ something. He knew that it was possible- it was always dangerous to forgo the machine and fix another robot using nothing but your own energy. Ranmaru would hook himself up to the machine as well, using the cables Tokiya normally used for himself. 

“Ran, are you sure-” 

Ranmaru’s glare is still in place as he fixes the cables in place. “Y’don’t have a monopoly on repairs. I’ve fixed myself before. I know how our bodies work. I can fix you.”

“I wasn’t doubting you.” Tokiya would say quietly. 

“Tokiya, I’m really fucking pissed off right now. If you open your mouth one more time ‘t tell me that you’re not fuckin’ worth it, or whatever bullshit you’re going on about right now, I’m going to lose it.”

Tokiya would quiet down. It was too much of an order to disregard. Ranmaru would finish hooking himself up to the machine, and he would move his hand, closer to Tokiya’s jaw. “Wait.” Ranmaru would stop, but Tokiya would continue before he could figure out if Ranmaru was stopping to get angry, or stopping to listen. “Leave me on. If you need to ask a question, it would be better if I could answer it.”

Ranmaru would deadpan for a moment, and his voice is the coldest it is yet. “You’re doing yourself no fuckin’ favors by saying anything right now Tokiya. Why the fuck would I work on you while you’re still on? If you’re some kind of fuckin’ masochist, that’s fine, but save it for the bedroom. Not while I’m trying to fuckin’ save your life.”

“I don’t want to be turned off, Ran, please.” Tokiya would plead. He wasn’t sure if he would ever be turned back on. Tokiya never turned himself off- not even to sleep. If Ranmaru couldn’t fix him- why would they wake him back up?

“‘M not puttin’ you through the fuckin’ agony of working on you awake. You’ll be fine.” That’s the last thing Tokiya would have heard before Ranmaru would have pressed underneath Tokiya’s jaw, and Tokiya’s body would have gone limp. 

When Tokiya would be powered back on, it isn’t by Ranmaru. He’d blink, looking around, but the lights in the room have been darkened. There’s an arm slung heavily across Tokiya’s chest, holding him down. Tokiya realizes that Ranmaru had set his sleep timer on, after he had fixed Tokiya. One of Tokiya’s hands would lift to his own neck, but his skin feels cool. Ranmaru must have fixed whatever was wrong. 

Ranmaru had set his own sleep timer to what he had set Tokiya’s too- because Tokiya can tell that Ranmaru is awake. Tokiya would reach up, to unplug the charging cables, and Ranmaru would catch his hand, stopping him. 

“Should’a set your timer longer. You’re not charged yet. I’ll fix that.” Ranmaru would have turned, to fumble with the machine behind him, but Tokiya would have stopped him. 

“I’m fixed. You don’t-”

“Tokiya.” Ranmaru’s voice is a threat, but he would turn towards Tokiya, moving to sit up on his elbow. “I need you ‘t listen to me.” Ranmaru’s voice is serious, and all of Tokiya’s attention is on him. “I don’t give a shit about roles, or ranks. It’s been fucking years of you being my partner, and I feel like I’ve set these ground rules before, but now that you’ve almost killed yourself ignoring them, I’m really setting my foot down. You’re gonna stop unnecessarily putting me over yourself. If I’m not dying, you are never cleared to fix me off station. And if I am- you’re not to fix me past savin’ my life. All of the detail work needs to be saved for the station- because you’re not fucking replacable, Tokiya. You’ve gotten through goddamned years of living through combat situations as a repair model. You’re not goin’ out because you’re being fucking stupid. ‘M gonna fuckin’ start maintenancing you, too, so get used ‘t that. I can’t change what everyone else sees you as, but I’m not gonna treat you like you’re a fucking collarless. And if you wanna pull the bullshit about being worried about me- if anything happens ‘t you, I’m not getting a new repair model. So if you want me gettin’ repaired, you need ‘t stick around.”

Tokiya would get silent for a long moment. “Alright. No more dangerous repairs.” Tokiya couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to Ranmaru. Especially not because Ranmaru had denied help. And Ranmaru couldn’t be expected to successfully repair himself. Tokiya had repaired himself quite a few times, to hide an injury from Ranmaru- especially in the beginning. It wasn’t an easy or a pleasant thing to do, and if Tokiya weren’t a repair model, or he were less stubborn than he was, he couldn’t have done it. 

Ranmaru’s hand would lift, his index finger pressing against Tokiya’s temple. Tokiya’s eyes would close of their own accord, and Ranmaru would get silent, looking through Tokiya’s vitals. “Your temp’s still too high, and you’re only about seventy percent. Jesus, how much fuckin’ energy did you use? You’re gonna need at least another four hours. Think I got whatever else was wrong.” Ranmaru would sigh, letting his hand drop. He’d turn around, and he’d tap on the screen. Tokiya would try to reach out- but after Ranmaru’s most recent scolding, he isn’t quite ready to push Ranmaru further. Ranmaru would set Tokiya’s sleep timer, and Tokiya would be hit by a wave of exhaustion, his eyes closing. He’d be out before he felt Ranmaru lie back down. 

When Tokiya wakes back up, Ranmaru is unplugging Tokiya, and Tokiya wouldn’t stop him. He needs to check on Ranmaru- but he was wearing the wrong cables to do that. He needed the ones that Ranmaru seems to have already unplugged from himself. Tokiya would have ended up catching Ranmaru by surprise, lifting his hand to press his fingertips against Ranmaru’s temple. Ranmaru’s eyes would close, his hands stilling, and Tokiya would stare forward, though he’s really seeing Ranmaru’s vitals. 

Ranmaru still had some damage that hadn’t been taken care of- though he was fully charged, and his pain levels were low. Unfortunately, low was still far too high for Tokiya. Tokiya prided himself in keeping Ranmaru healthy and well at almost all times, and he wasn’t happy to see that Ranmaru’s vitals were significantly worse than they should be- even if Ranmaru could clearly function fine. Tokiya would let his hand drop, and Ranmaru’s expression would become wary. It isn’t livid, like it was before. Tokiya would take the cables from Ranmaru’s hand, though it isn’t the simplest task. Ranmaru would eventually let him have them, sighing, and Tokiya would press against Ranmaru’s neck with his fingertips, before opening the panel towards the back of his neck, attaching the cables, before he’d climb over Ranmaru. 

Ranmaru’s hands would move to Tokiya’s waist, stopping him when he was over Ranmaru’s lap, and Tokiya would still- not that he has much choice in it. “I’m not breaking any of your rules.” Tokiya would say softly. 

Ranmaru would sigh. “I know. Still wish you’d be a little less worried about me. I’d be a lot less aggressive if you’d let me worry about you. Ever.”

Tokiya would cradle Ranmaru’s face with his hands, and he’d lean forward, pressing his lips to Ranmaru’s softly, before pulling away by a few inches. “I know you hate me saying this, but my job is to take care of _you_ , Ran. It makes me feel better to know that you’re doing well.”

Ranmaru’s huff is aggravated, but Tokiya would lightly bump his forehead against Ranmaru’s. 

“It’s going to be fine, Ran. But I should get started.” Ranmaru would only let go of Tokiya with one hand, and it’s to grab the cables attached to the machine- Tokiya’s normal cables. Ranmaru’s hand would have slid up Tokiya’s back, his fingers pressing against the back of his neck. The panel on his neck was still loose, not having been closed properly, so Ranmaru wouldn’t have any issues opening it to plug the cables into Tokiya before reluctantly letting Tokiya up. Tokiya would stand by the bed, to use the machine, and both men would still. 

Fixing Ranmaru wouldn’t be difficult when Tokiya wasn’t using his own energy. It wouldn’t be very long, though with Ranmaru being off, it would have felt even shorter to him. Tokiya would have reached forward, when he was done, to gently run his thumb over Ranmaru’s cheek. The cables attached to Tokiya would have sent a subconscious instruction to wake Ranmaru up, now that Tokiya was done, and Ranmaru’s eyes would have fluttered open, catching Tokiya’s hand by the wrist, holding it to his face. Ranmaru would have closed his eyes, humming. Tokiya would have bent over to press a kiss to Ranmaru’s forehead. 

“‘S this normally what you do while I sleep?” Ranmaru would mumble, his eyes still closed. “Stroke my face?” 

“It sounds much creepier when you say it like that.” Tokiya sounds amused. “I just like watching you when you’re off. Your face is much more relaxed.”

“Tch.” Ranmaru would open his eyes, finally letting go of Tokiya’s wrist, slowly sitting up. He’d reach behind him, but Tokiya would swat away his hands gently and unplug Ranmaru himself. Ranmaru would have reached behind Tokiya as soon as Ranmaru was disconnected to do the same for Tokiya. 

The next few missions would have went well for Tokiya and Ranmaru- though on one, Ranmaru would have been exhausted, not having fully charged the night before. Tokiya would have escorted Ranmaru to his room, to plug him in. Tokiya would have been distracted by noise outside, and his hand would have slipped, missetting Ranmaru’s sleep mode for far shorter than it should have been. It would have cut off Ranmaru’s attempted warning to Tokiya. 

Tokiya knew that Ranmaru was likely going to ask Tokiya to stay in his room- but Tokiya was curious. And without direct orders not to, he’d walk into the hallway while Ranmaru charged. 

Tokiya would see two robots, lower than combat models but much higher than repair models, laughing over a girl. The modest way she was dressed would imply that she was no higher rank than Tokiya, but she was curled on the floor, in pain, her collar lighting up. 

Tokiya hadn’t even spoken up- but the look of disgust on his face would have caught the attention of the two higher ups. They held a remote that didn’t seem to have a death toggle, which was good for Tokiya _and_ the girl, but it clearly was a punishment remote, and Tokiya’s physical response was enough to get himself in hot water. 

“What are you looking at, lowlife?” One of them would taunt. 

Tokiya would set his jaw and would remain quiet, but that was the wrong answer, because he would see the light, reflecting from his collar, before he would feel the pain. It would send him to his knees, convulsing, and for a second, he would shut down. His pain levels were high, when his consciousness returned. 

“Where’s your model?” One of the robots had approached him, nudging Tokiya with his foot.

Tokiya’s response comes out as a pained gasp. “Charging.”

“Full sentences.” The robot would snap. Ironic. He would press the button again, and Tokiya notices that it’s also affecting the girl. This was cruel. To them, it should have been like kicking a puppy. 

The second robot would speak up. “Who’s your model?”

Tokiya is shaking from pain. It was overloading, in his mind. He was going to need a lot of repair, and it would be the annoying kind, because he wasn’t physically injured at all. They were virtually frying his circuits. 

“Ranmaru.” Tokiya would gasp out, still on the ground. He can’t even push himself up at the moment. “Combat model.”

One of the robot’s face would change, looking at his partner in crime. “Shit- we shouldn’t be messing with this one.” He sounds nervous. “We don’t want to piss off the combat models.”

The other robot would stay quiet, but after sharing a long glance, they’d move. They’d head back to the girl. Tokiya would want to help her- but he couldn’t. He could almost hear Ranmaru’s instructions in his head, and could only imagine how livid Ranmaru would be if Tokiya got himself in further trouble. Ranmaru wouldn’t let him help the girl- because if Tokiya defied higher ups, he would be as good as dead. 

Especially with the scum that these higher ups were. Tokiya wouldn’t stand a chance- even if Ranmaru was a combat model. The only reason Tokiya was leaving with his life now was because he hadn’t really provoked them. They had no real excuse to truly punish Tokiya- and they knew that Ranmaru would see that. 

Some good things came from Ranmaru’s ranking, Tokiya would think as he’d push himself up on unsteady limbs. He feels heavy, and sluggish, and it’s all he can do to pull himself to his own room, his head hung. He could hear the girl’s whimpers, and angry tears would burn in Tokiya’s eyes. 

Tokiya wasn’t a hero. Tokiya was just a low ranking repair model. Replaceable, to everyone but Ranmaru. But to be fair- he wasn’t dating anyone _but_ Ranmaru. 

Tokiya would sit on his bed, and he’d plug himself into the repair end. Tokiya would grip the edges of his bed, closing his eyes. 

It wasn’t easy to repair himself. It required a lot of focus and attention, and it felt strange to probe through his own mind, and to feel his own vitals. And he knew that when he started repairing things in himself, it was going to be excruciating. 

That was why higher ups had repair models- and that’s why the repair models had the power to turn them off. It’s a nearly unbearable pain, to be fixed while you’re aware, because it affects your pain receptors, and you’re _aware_ of your body being changed. Tokiya would grip onto his bed, and would close his eyes, his face already turning into a grimace as he assess his own damage. It wasn’t too bad, but there were quite a few spots that he would have to readjust. It wouldn’t necessarily be difficult to do, but it would be a very long process, and the involved pain might make it harder. 

Tokiya had the ability to cry. Technically, his body functioned almost exactly as a human’s did- and when all of the nuanced panels were closed, he looked almost exactly like a human. He would cry now, as his pain receptor would max out. He would get mostly through a repair when he would hear his door open, and his eyes would fly open, full of fear and pain. 

Ranmaru’s face is shocked, at first.

It quickly turns enraged. Tokiya is almost wondering if he’s smoking again. 

Ranmaru would walk forward, quickly, and he’d ignore Tokiya, tapping on the computer, stopping the repair process. Tokiya’s pain receptor wouldn’t lower much, because there were still too many problem areas, but Ranmaru would look at him, incredibly angry. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Tokiya would blink, concerned. “I was repairing myself. I-” Tokiya would swallow, trying to think through the haze of pain. “Did I mess up your sleep command? I’m sorry.”

“Thank God you fucking did.” Ranmaru’s still livid. “Why are you repairing yourself?”

“I ran into two higher-”

“Yeah, the assholes tormenting the girl.” Ranmaru would say flatly. “‘M guessin’ they got you, and that’s a fuckin’ problem right there, too, but that’s not what I’m asking.”

“I’m damaged.” Tokiya would say quietly. “I need to fix the damage.”

“You don’t fix yourself, Tokiya. You never fucking work on yourself while you’re awake. You never fucking work on yourself.” Ranmaru’s voice is sharp. These are commands. Ranmaru would search the computer, trying to find the second set of cables, to connect himself. “I don’t ever want to see you pulling this shit again. If you can’t find another repair model, you come wake me up- where the fuck are your other cables?”

“I don’t have any.” Tokiya would say quietly. “I don’t ever need them.”

“I barely ever repair you, Tokiya.” Ranmaru would say, but his voice has turned dangerously quiet, as he moves to disconnect Tokiya. “Are you telling me that when I don’t, you’re trying to maintenance _yourself_?”

“I normally do, yes.” Tokiya would just let Ranmaru unhook him and pull him up by the arm, heading out of the room. “I believe most repair models do.”

“No, Tokiya, they fucking don’t.” Ranmaru seems almost incredulous. “I don’t even understand how you _can_. Most of us shut down when we’re under that much pain.” Ranmaru would lead Tokiya back to Ranmaru’s room. They would walk past the men, still having their sick fun, and Ranmaru would grit his teeth, especially seeing Tokiya’s concerned expression. Ranmaru would let out an almost frustrated growl. “I’ll take care ‘a this, but that means that you’d better go fuckin’ hook yourself up and lay down. I’m only doing this for you, so you’d better fuckin’ make my job easier.” It’s a grumble, but Tokiya would take it seriously, going straight into Ranmaru’s room. 

Tokiya can hear Ranmaru’s loud voice as he plugs himself into the repair cables, lying down in Ranmaru’s bed. It feels strange, despite the fact that this is far from the first time that Tokiya has been in Ranmaru’s bed. “Give me one good reason why you’re fryin’ this girl.”

Tokiya can’t hear the response, but he hears Ranmaru’s annoyed click of the tongue. “Then don’t fuckin’ do it in the middle of a common room area. I’ve gotta spend my time repairing _my_ repair model because you want some sick fucking laugh. What you do in your own time is your own shit, but when you start making it my problem?” 

Tokiya imagines that they apologize- because Ranmaru sounds incredibly aggressive. It’s only a moment later that Ranmaru walks back into his room, closing the door behind him and immediately heading towards the computer, grabbing the second pair of cables. 

Tokiya’s pair, normally. Tokiya would feel Ranmaru’s fingertips press against his temple, and he can only imagine what he sees, because Ranmaru would make an almost startled noise. “There’s no fuckin’ way you could’ve fixed all this by yourself. It’s gonna take me at least an hour just to get your _pain_ down to a reasonable level, fucking forget actually getting you totally fixed.” Ranmaru sounds frustrated. His hand would leave Tokiya, and he’d move his hand to the underside of Tokiya’s jaw, not even using the computer to power Tokiya off. It’s an immediate thing. 

When Tokiya wakes up, he’s in a similar position to when he had overdone it, healing Ranmaru, with Ranmaru’s arm, heavy across his chest. Tokiya would frown, looking at Ranmaru. Tokiya still had the repair cables connected to himself, but he knew that meant that the cables Ranmaru had weren’t nearly as quick with charging. 

Ranmaru would wake up at the same time as Tokiya, clearly having set it that way. Ranmaru would wake up, still angry. Tokiya wouldn’t make a comment about the cables, not wanting to make Ranmaru any angrier. Tokiya would have checked himself over, but Ranmaru’s hand would have lifted to his temple before Tokiya had even gotten there. 

Tokiya’s pain was down, back to nonexistent, and he was fully charged. His vitals were back to normal, and Ranmaru had done well at fixing him. Even Tokiya couldn’t find any more damaged spots. 

“You’re never doing that again.” Ranmaru would mumble, when his hand had moved from Tokiya’s face. “You’re never to try to fix yourself, ever. If I’m charging, you fuckin’ wake me up. It took some time, but I fixed you fine. You could seriously hurt yourself, if y’were ‘t try to fix somethin’ and you shut down, or overheated, you could really mess something up. And if you ever hear something goin’ on outside, and I’m shut down, you don’t investigate it. I’m gettin’ real sick of these lectures, Tokiya. I need you ‘t start takin’ care ‘a yourself.”

“...You mean letting you take care of me.” Tokiya would frown. “That seems to be most of what you’re telling me to do.”

“Yeah. It is. Rely on me.” Ranmaru would sigh. “I wanna keep you around, and you’re making it really hard.”

Tokiya would turn, to pull himself closer to Ranmaru, and Ranmaru would let him. Tokiya would press his head against Ranmaru’s chest. “I care for you.” Tokiya would say quietly. “But it’s difficult. I’m not meant to stay around long. Especially not as a repair model in combat situations. You tell me that I’m not to put myself above you, but you’re the only one that thinks that, Ran. I’m nothing. I’m hardly viewed any better as a collarless, and I’m never going to move up. It’s impossible, and you’re wasting your time. I’m far too low of a ranking to even hope to last nearly as long as I’m sure you will.”

“If you’re so worried about rankings, then you should just listen to me.” Ranmaru sounds frustrated. “Because I’m a high enough rank that if I say people need ‘t fucking leave you alone, people ‘r gonna leave you alone. ‘M not saying that rankings don’t matter- I’m saying that they don’t need to matter to you. You just stick with me and you’re gonna be fine. I’ve gotten you through two years of missions, Toki. I’ll get you through years and years of more, ‘s long as you just let me help you.”

“I hope you know that I’m only as serious about my job as I am because I care for you. I just really, really want you to be alright.”

“Well, I’m gonna be a lot more alright if you are too. I know that everyone makes it a habit ‘t put you down because they _think_ you’re less- and that’s bullshit because we wouldn’t be able to do shit without repair models.” Ranmaru had gotten himself into a grumble, but his voice would return to normal, if still a bit aggravated. “But you’re mine. ‘N a lotta senses of the word. So stop being difficult.” Ranmaru’s grip on Tokiya would tighten, holding him protectively. Tokiya would frown, but he’d move, his hand running up Ranmaru’s side as he’d press his lips softly to Ranmaru’s. Ranmaru’s hand runs up Tokiya’s back, pressing Tokiya to himself as he’d kiss Tokiya back. Tokiya would pull back, shifting so that he could press his forehead to Ranmaru’s. 

“Alright.” Tokiya’s voice is quiet. “I’ll just focus on you.” 

“Good.” Ranmaru would pull Tokiya into another kiss. 

Tokiya knew a lot about robots. He had to, because he had to know how to fix even the hardest of issues and the most broken of models. He wasn’t trained for the _feelings_ robots could experience. Tokiya loved Ranmaru, and he truly believed that Ranmaru loved him. 

Relationships weren’t forbidden, but they also weren’t common among robots. It was never expressly stated that they were even capable of feeling _emotions_ , though clearly they were. 

“You could have me turned in for mentioning this.” Tokiya would mumble. “I’m not sure if I should.” Ranmaru would quiet, his attention on Tokiya’s soft words. “But wouldn’t it be nice if we could just… live. If our only concern had to be each other.”

Ranmaru would sigh. “It’s never gonna happen.” Ranmaru’s hand would raise, unplugging Tokiya and closing the panel on his neck so that he could move his fingers into Tokiya’s hair. “But it’s a nice thought. Maybe in another life.”

Tokiya would have gotten better at listening to Ranmaru’s orders- though he’d have begun to stick closer to Ranmaru than he already had before. Tokiya no longer slept in his own room. Ranmaru would let Tokiya repair him, but he wouldn’t allow Tokiya to set his sleep timer. They had gotten into the habit of Tokiya repairing Ranmaru first, and then waking Ranmaru up so that he could check on Tokiya, and Ranmaru would set his own sleep timer after he had checked on Tokiya. Tokiya wasn’t in love with how they did it- but Ranmaru let Tokiya repair Ranmaru first, so that was the reason that Tokiya would give in. 

It would have been months without a lecture- because Tokiya was usually pretty good at not making Ranmaru angry on missions because Tokiya would never get in Ranmaru’s way if it could hurt Ranmaru. For as serious as Tokiya took Ranmaru’s health, he never underestimated Ranmaru, because he knew that Ranmaru was great at what he did. He was one of the most talented combat models they had, and Tokiya was never worried about Ranmaru being unable to complete a mission. 

Almost never worried. 

Right now, Ranmaru was on his knees, his head pulled back by his hair and a sword to his throat, a collarless hovering over him. Ranmaru had already shoved Tokiya out of the way, commanding him to leave. Tokiya wouldn’t have gone far- but it wouldn’t have been until they were clearly about to kill Ranmaru that he would have finally ignored Ranmaru’s order. Tokiya would have reached behind his neck, and he would have unhooked his collar. It required a decent amount of effort, but he would have broken it off, and he would have went from behind them, into the group. They didn’t recognize him- but he wasn’t wearing the collar. No one would have questioned him. 

And then Tokiya would have spoken up. “Wait.” His voice is cold and smooth. “If you kill him like that, you’re going to get them on all of us.” Tokiya would step forward, and he’s keeping his face indifferent. He had lost his usual jacket before he had joined the group, trying to blend in. In his white undershirt, he certainly did, even with his black, outfit pants. He would cross his arms over his chest. 

“We can’t just let him live.” One of the collarless holding Ranmaru would give Tokiya an angry look. Tokiya isn’t sure that the look is even _directed_ at Tokiya. 

They were surprisingly trusting. But Tokiya supposes that very few robots would take off their collars. They’d rather die wearing their collars than to disrespect the base. To disrespect the humans. 

The collar was one of the largest things that kept humans and robots looking different. If all of the robots lost their collars, and stopped serving humans hand and foot- you’d never know the difference unless you were feeling them up for panels. They weren’t concerned about this new addition- they were concerned about the collared robot on his knees in front of them. 

Tokiya would step forward further, his hand moving into Ranmaru’s hair, holding Ranmaru’s head back himself, and looking down on Ranmaru with an expression that he manages to remain cold. Ranmaru’s expressions remains a cold anger, but Tokiya can see the emotions flicker though his eyes. Shock. Disbelief. Fear. 

Tokiya wonders just what Ranmaru was afraid of. His own death? Tokiya’s possibly seeming betrayal? Or maybe he’s afraid of what would happen to Tokiya if his plan was figured out by the collarless. 

“I used to be stuck on repair duty.” Tokiya’s voice grows bitter. He isn’t sure where all of this bitterness was coming from. It was fake- right? It had to be. “I know these models front and back. They’d send people after everyone here if he were killed.” Tokiya would look at the guards, serious and demanding, his voice full of anger. “I can get rid of the tracker. If you give me thirty minutes, tops, I can shut it down, and you can take him somewhere else and kill him. They’ll probably think he’s a deserter if they lose his trace and don’t find his body. They won’t look.”

“Why did you leave, deserter?” One of the guards would ask. Deserter was a high insult on base, but here, it was said almost as a compliment. 

Tokiya’s face would darken, and his lips would press together in a tight line. When he speaks, his voice holds anger. “I was made to be a disposable, low rank repair bot. I shouldn’t have even lasted a few weeks in my assignment, and if I had been broken, they’d have thrown me out. In the time I had spent, I found one single robot that was given a high rank that didn’t treat me like spare parts. How could I have stayed?”

“It’s a suicide mission.” One of the guards would say quietly. “Especially working on a blue blood.” The guard would scowl, kicking Ranmaru. Tokiya would have tensed, to hide his wince. “You’re not gonna last long after working on him.”

Tokiya understood why. Some groups had figured out charging- and some hadn’t. Tokiya could last for quite some time without charge, even as a lower ranked model, but he didn’t stand a chance if he worked on Ranmaru. And the higher the model, the higher the power. “I’ll do it.” Tokiya would answer smoothly. “Just tie him up and give me a half an hour. I don’t work well with others hovering over me.”

The guards would work together to completely bind Ranmaru’s hands, from his wrists to his elbows, and his ankles all the way to his knees. The second that Tokiya is given some space, Tokiya opens the panel on the back of his neck, and he presses a button behind it. 

Tokiya had sent a distress signal. Tokiya would have sent it earlier, but he didn’t have a distress signal. Ranmaru was a high enough rank to be installed with one. 

“Why the fuck are you still here?” Ranmaru’s voice is very, very quiet, but his voice is too panicked. Tokiya would look forward, making sure there were no eyes on him, and he’d pet through Ranmaru’s hair. 

“I couldn’t let you die, Ran. I figured out a way to save you.” Tokiya would glance up, one more time, his expression careful, and then he’d duck his head, pressing a quick kiss to Ranmaru’s lips right as his finger would press below Ranmaru’s jaw, turning him off. 

Tokiya would repair him from the battle, trying to make sure he takes at least a half an hour. It would only take twenty minutes for a ship to arrive. Tokiya would have still be maintencing Ranmaru when he would have heard people approaching. He would have put Ranmaru back online before moving around him, keeping the collarless away from him. Tokiya hears the gunfire before he actually feels it- but he’s too close to the collarless, and he’s not wearing a collar, and he’d be down with almost no resistance. 

Tokiya had caused this. As he’d fall over, his body no longer working with him, he thinks he may deserve his end. Tokiya felt good that Ranmaru was going to stay alive, but he didn’t feel good at how many people that he had just caused an end to. Tokiya was so torn. 

They had accepted him, for leaving the control of the robots above him. For leaving because he had been mistreated, like them, Tokiya imagines. He hoped that a few of them had managed to escape. Tokiya couldn’t look back at Ranmaru- incapable of it both emotionally and physically. Tokiya would feel tired. Like he would when Ranmaru would shut him down. Tokiya had gotten used to being turned off during the night, and he no longer felt scared, when Ranmaru would put him to sleep. He no longer felt like he wasn’t going to wake up. 

He knew that he wasn’t going to this time. 

A moment of fear would wash over him, as he’d hear the plane landing behind him. He had never been able to fight the order to turn off before- but he was afraid. 

Tokiya was scared to die.

The thought didn’t seem real. And it became much harder to fight when he could hear them, releasing Ranmaru. He could hear Ranmaru arguing, because they’d have stopped him when he had headed towards the pile of bodies. Tokiya could hear the conversation. 

“Let go of me. My repair model’s over there.” Ranmaru sounds livid. 

“If he is, he’s a criminal.” One of the guards would say, their voice formal. 

“He’s not.” Ranmaru would snap. “He took off the damned collar to help me. If you hand him one when he’s fixed he’d put it right back fuckin’ on.”

“Calm down, combat model.” How impersonal, Tokiya would think dryly. Weakly. Tokiya would finally close his eyes, feeling too hot. He was overheating, from fighting his body’s natural response. He wouldn’t hear the rest of the conversation, as he’d turn off.

Ranmaru would be brought back on the ship, and he would be entirely silent the entire time after the ship had taken off, though his hands would shake in anger. He’d close his eyes, and he’d stay still. No one would speak to him. 

When they would land, he would be brought to command, to fill them in on the situation. 

Ranmaru would have told them exactly how it had gone down- but he’s harsh, especially when explaining how his repair model had gotten killed for saving Ranmaru’s life, and how Ranmaru and he didn’t take kindly to that. 

“I’m sorry for our mistake. We will assign you a new repair model shortly.”

“Don’t bother.” Ranmaru would spit. “I don’t want another one.”

Ranmaru had been dead serious when he told Tokiya that Tokiya was his last repair. 

Ranmaru would have gone on the next assigned mission alone. He would have made it back to base, but he’s injured. There’s a large gash in his chest, and he can’t move any fingers on his left hand. He’d silently make his way to his room, but his eyes would narrow when he’d see a young girl standing near his bed. “Leave.” 

She would move towards the door, hesitantly, but she would speak, meekly. “Are you sure…? I’m supposed to be your new rep-” Ranmaru would cut her off, his voice harsh. 

“Get out. And y’tell ‘em that I don’t want a fucking repair model.” Ranmaru would watch her until she had left, and would have closed the door behind her. He’d try to fumble with the cables for a moment, but he’d throw them back down, irritated, and he’d climb into his bed. He wouldn’t bother with charging. 

It would take Ranmaru more time than it should to activate his own sleep mode, but the model had really thrown him off. 

He thought he was clear with not wanting anyone else. 

So when Ranmaru would wake up with cables attached to the back of his neck, and a figure tapping on the computer, Ranmaru would be livid. 

“I thought I fucking told them not to send anyone else.” Ranmaru would growl, moving to rip the cables from the back of his neck. His fingers were responding again, and there was no pain. They had already repaired him. He would be stopped by two hands, gripping onto his wrist before he could take out the cables.

“Careful.” The voice would get Ranmaru to freeze, and his eyes would snap to the model’s face. Ranmaru’s goal to unplug himself would have been forgotten as he’d grab at Tokiya, pulling the boy closer. Tokiya would lose his balance, falling on top of Ranmaru, and Tokiya would have made a surprised noise, not managing to catch himself. Ranmaru would have held him closely, “Jesus, Ran-” Tokiya’s voice is concerned. “What’s going on? Did I do something wrong with your repair?” Tokiya’s voice is panicked. He’s struggling, to reach up, to check on Ranmaru, but Ranmaru won’t let him, his grip on Tokiya too tight. “I was only gone for a day, how did you get yourself so hurt? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you. I didn’t want to, I-” 

“What are you talking about, Toki?” Ranmaru’s voice is strained, his head buried in Tokiya’s shoulder, but he’d force himself to pull away. “It’s been _weeks_.”

“I must have done something wrong.” Tokiya’s fearful look is back, but Ranmaru would hold his hand down again. 

“You didn’t- you were _dead_. And they wouldn’t let me grab you-” Ranmaru’s eyebrows would furrow. “What do you remember. What did you do last with me, Toki?”

“It’s been a calm few days.” Tokiya’s eyebrows would furrow. “We had a mission coming up for a small group of collarless, but command sent me in for some type of special-” Tokiya would quiet down, his face sobering. “What happened to me, Ran?”

“I got caught, on that mission y’think we’re goin’ on.” Ranmaru’s voice is quiet. He’s moved, pressing his forehead against the side of Tokiya’s head, and closing his eyes. “Y’took off your collar, and you convinced ‘em you were with them, and you sent a distress signal.” Ranmaru’s hold would tighten on Tokiya. “They shot the group they found when they got there, and you were in the group. I tried to grab you, and they wouldn’t let me.”

Tokiya would get quiet. “And that’s why you tried to make me leave. You wouldn’t accept another repair model.” Tokiya wants to hold Ranmaru back, but he can’t move his arms. “Would you really have just let yourself die?”

“I still finished the mission. Would’a charged myself, if they hadn’t pissed me off before I slept. I wasn’t gonna let ‘em try to replace you with someone else. If that meant dropping because of it, then so fuckin’ be it.” Ranmaru’s voice sounds tired. “It’s not your body, but it’s your consciousness. ‘M not too familiar with it, but I’m guessing they took the last thing they logged-” Ranmaru’s grip would tighten even further. He wasn’t sure that it was comfortable for Tokiya, but his grip was desperate and Tokiya wouldn’t fight him. “But it’s you. Fuck, I hope it is.” 

“It is.” Tokiya would reassure quietly. “When we plug ourselves in, it refreshes our consciousness in the computer. If they never recollected my body, they wouldn’t have the memories from anytime before my last charge- they must have taken a previous one and added in the fake memory of leaving you, to explain the absence and why you were hurt. It’s… you’re right. It isn’t my body. But it is me.”

“You’re right.” Ranmaru would agree. Ranmaru wants to believe that it’s true- and Tokiya’s telling him it is. It made sense. And Ranmaru doesn’t mind Tokiya not remembering how he died. Ranmaru knew first hand that it wasn’t a pleasant memory. “Today I want it ‘t be you and me, okay? Let’s just… stay in. I don’t have any missions or anything I need ‘t do today.” 

“That’s a good idea.” Tokiya would say, his fingertips brushing over Ranmaru’s arm. “You aren’t nearly charged enough as it is, anyways. I’d feel better if you were resting.” 

Ranmaru would let go of Tokiya with one hand, to press against Tokiya’s temple. “You’re real low, too.” Ranmaru would mumble. “You’d think they’d send you back at full charge.”

Tokiya would glance at the screen, when Ranmaru would have let go of his face, “I’m at the same level as you are, roughly.” Ranmaru would have reached out, to grab the second set of cables. His other hand would move, opening the panel on the back of Tokiya’s neck, and he’d plug Tokiya in. When Tokiya shifts, Ranmaru’s hand would grab onto him, a bit possessively, but Tokiya would run his fingers across Ranmaru’s side, reassuringly. “I’m just going to lie beside you.” Ranmaru would let Tokiya go, and would hold onto him tightly when Tokiya had gotten onto the bed.

“We’re gonna just have to sleep manually.” Ranmaru would mumble. “I don’t wanna get up and I don’t want you gettin’ up either.” 

Tokiya would reach up, at first just brushing his fingers across Ranmaru’s cheek, but he would move to check on Ranmaru, his fingers against Ranmaru’s temple. He wouldn’t leave his hand there long- just enough to make sure that everything was how it should be. Tokiya would be relieved to see that it was- though his discomfort at the situation wasn’t lowered by much. 

Ranmaru would move forward, pressing a soft kiss to Tokiya’s lips. Tokiya’s expression is soft when Ranmaru pulls away.

“Y’know.” Ranmaru’s voice is a bit tight. “I’m sure you’re used ‘t me bein’ angry with you over dumb decisions. This is another time.” His face and his voice don’t seem to hold any anger. “I know you don’t remember it- but I don’t ever want you putting yourself in danger for me. I don’t ever wanna go through that again.” Ranmaru’s voice just sounds tired, and weak. “But that’s all I’m going to say on that. I’m just glad to have you back, Toki. I don’t want to lose you again. I’m not gonna.” 

This time, Tokiya is the one to lean forward, keeping the kiss short and soft, and he’d rest his forehead against Ranmaru’s. “I’ll be careful.” Tokiya would promise quietly. “You won’t lose me again.”

“Good. I’m holding you to that.” Ranmaru would sigh. “But for now, neither of us are charged. I just wanna lay back with you for a while.”

“Do you want me to set our sleep cycle?” 

“No.” Ranmaru would pull Tokiya closer, resting his chin on Tokiya’s head. “If you wanna sleep, that’s fine, but I just want to lay here for a while.”

Tokiya would clutch onto Ranmaru’s shirt, and his voice would drop. “I… care for you, Ran. A lot.” 

Ranmaru would snort. “I love you, too, Toki.”

They would have gotten another year, though Ranmaru would have started noticing things he hadn’t before. He would have started noticing the way that the highly ranked robots treated the lesser ranked robots like shit. He would have noticed that if he left Tokiya for any length of time, that Tokiya would get disrespected, almost immediately- ordered around with bullshit demands. Not that Tokiya was often left by himself. 

Ranmaru would notice how often repair models would be switched out, and how often they were punished for reasons Ranmaru couldn’t figure out. 

Ranmaru had never really cared about his repair models before Tokiya- but he had never once used their collar to punish them, or purposefully let them die. 

Ranmaru would have kept what he had noticed to himself, because he didn’t need to get himself or, more importantly, _Tokiya_ into trouble. He hadn’t told Tokiya about Tokiya’s speech, to get the collarless to believe him, because he didn’t want Tokiya getting in trouble for it- but Ranmaru had thought about it a lot. He wasn’t sure if Tokiya’s anger was genuine, but when Ranmaru really thought about it- he supposed it should be. 

Ranmaru had expected to keep these feelings unspoken, for purely safety reasons. 

But it had been a simple mission, to take care of a collarless a group of humans had spotted. 

“Where are they?” Ranmaru’s question is short. He’s standing stiffly, his expression serious. He hates dealing with humans directly, and he tries to make it short. 

It’s a guy and two girls, and one of the girls is eyeing Tokiya, who is standing behind Ranmaru. Tokiya’s head is bowed, trying to make himself smaller. “It’s just one of them, over there.” The man would gesture. “But why don’t you leave your repair boy here? Think my girls want to get to know him.”

“He’s my partner. Think it’s better that he stays with me.”

“That’s an order, command model. Are you ignoring an order?” One of the girls would have spoken up- the one eyeing Tokiya. 

Ranmaru’s jaw would have tensed. “It’ll be a fast job.” He’s mostly saying it to Tokiya. 

Ranmaru would leave, immediately, because it _is_ going to be a fast job. If he didn’t think it would end poorly for both of them, he would have never left Tokiya. 

The job would take less than twenty minutes. It was a matter of finding and neutralizing the collarless. It was a girl, seeming scared. If Tokiya’s safety hadn’t been in question, her pleading may have made Ranmaru hesitate. He couldn’t afford to. 

Ranmaru would come back, the body slung over his shoulder, but he’d drop it when he would have seen the situation. Tokiya is cowering, and the man is beating him, brutally. Tokiya’s trying to cover his face, but the man is attacking everywhere. 

The blood wasn’t _real_ , but artificial or not, Tokiya seemed to be covered in it. 

“Oi!” Ranmaru would snap, stepping forward. His expression is livid. “What’s going on?” The man’s beating would stop, and when he lets go of Tokiya, Tokiya would slump to the ground, still curled in on himself and hiding his face. The girls had been standing to the side, watching. 

“My girls were just asking him some questions and he kept trying to deny them. You need to get your bot fixed.” The man seems pissed, too, that Tokiya would dare to tell any of them no.

Ranmaru would move forward, picking up Tokiya and throwing him over his shoulder. “Well you got your body. We’re outta here.”

The man tries to speak, but Ranmaru would leave, ignoring him. Ranmaru wouldn’t report the end of the mission, simply making his way to his room. He’s holding onto Tokiya’s legs, and he can tell that Tokiya is still conscious, but Tokiya’s been quiet. Ranmaru would lay Tokiya down in his bed, taking a second to take Tokiya in. 

“What the fuck happened, Toki?” Ranmaru would mumble, looking over his clearly damaged face. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said no- just…” Tokiya would swallow, and it looks painful. “They were trying to see how much I was like them physically. They were touching me and getting under my clothes and I just… I panicked. It was like I was a toy.” Tokiya’s voice is almost a whimper. 

Ranmaru’s hand would press carefully to the side of his face. “Don’t be sorry. That’s fuckin’ bullshit. You’ve got that much of a right, Toki, whether they think you do or not. Just wish I would’a gotten back sooner.” Ranmaru would plug Tokiya in. “I’m gonna get you fixed up, and then we’re gonna go somewhere, alright?” Tokiya would give him a confused look, but Ranmaru has him out before he can ask. 

Ranmaru would have turned him back on as soon as he had finished working, though Ranmaru would have to grab a cloth to wipe off Tokiya’s face. He had fixed the damage, but his face was still stained with his artificial blood. Ranmaru would have cleaned his face, and would have pressed a short kiss to his forehead. “C’mon.”

“Where are we going?” Tokiya is still extremely confused. Ranmaru would shake his head. 

“Just trust me.” Ranmaru would have led Tokiya back to his own ship, holding tightly to Tokiya’s hand. Tokiya would have been stumbling in his attempt to keep up, confused by Ranmaru’s urgency. Ranmaru would have gotten into the ship, shutting the door, and dropping Tokiya off by his seat. “We need ‘t get outta here fast, so buckle up.” Ranmaru would be focusing on leaving, and Tokiya would have tried to buckle himself up quickly. He wasn’t sure why he was in the passenger seat.

And he wasn’t sure exactly where Ranmaru would have dropped them off, either. It wasn’t a place Tokiya recognized, and it seemed pretty far out. Ranmaru would have unbuckled himself, and he would have stood up, undoing Tokiya’s own restraints silently. “Ran, you’re scaring me.” Tokiya would say quietly. “Please talk to me.”

“I will, babe. I promise.” Ranmaru would pull Tokiya to his feet, and he’d press his hands against Tokiya’s cheeks. His face is serious. “Do you trust me?”

“...I do.” Tokiya’s eyes are moving between Ranmaru’s, desperately trying to figure out what’s going on. 

Tokiya’s eyes would widen when Ranmaru’s hands would drop, down to his neck, and Tokiya would hear the sound of breaking metal. Tokiya would see Ranmaru pull away with his broken collar, dropping it onto the floor. Tokiya’s expression is shell-shocked. Ranmaru would bring his hands up to his own neck, removing his as well. 

“We need ‘t get outta here. Get some space before they come to check on us.” Ranmaru would grab Tokiya’s hand, pulling him out. 

“What’s going on, Ran?” Tokiya’s voice is shaking. “Why are we doing this…?”

“We should have done this a long time ago.” Ranmaru says grimly, his pace not slowing. “It’s bad enough that you only get tolerated because ‘a me, but the way you were fuckin’ treated earlier? ‘T have them fuckin’ treat you like children playing with a toy fucking pissed me off. And that’s how everyone’s treated. I can’t do anything about everyone else, but I can do something about you.”

“I- we aren’t going to last long.” Tokiya would say quietly. “I agree with your decision, but how are we going to charge? If you want us to die together, I’ll do that. I’d do anything, as long as my fate stays with yours. But-”

“I know.” Ranmaru says quietly. “I’ve thought about that. I’m about to pull a real risky move, but it’s the best shot we have.” 

“Ranmaru-” Tokiya’s voice is fearful. “What are you about to do?”

“I know where a safehouse is. One that figured out how ‘t charge. I know they’ll take you.”

Tokiya’s fear hasn’t diminished at all, and his voice would break. “But you don’t know if they’ll take you.”

“We’re gonna find out. It’s our best bet.” 

Tokiya’s grip would tighten on Ranmaru’s hand. His voice is still shaky, and he’d feel tears burn his eyes. “If you think they’ll kill you- I’d rather find somewhere and lose charge, just you and me, than to watch you die”

“If it gets to it, we can leave. We’ll find a way out, alright? But I have to try. I wasn’t trying to sentence you to death by taking your collar, Toki, I was trying to find a way ‘t get you a better life. I think the people without the collars ‘ve got it right. I think we’ve been fighting on the wrong side this whole fuckin’ time, babe.”

Tokiya would get very quiet, unsure what to think. He would see the camp, his eyes widening a bit. It wasn’t small, but it was hidden. They would be surrounded- and it would be because Ranmaru had been recognized. Tokiya would cling to Ranmaru’s arm, even as they’d point weapons, a blade pressing to Ranmaru’s chest. 

“What are you doing here?” One of them would command. A woman. 

“I’m unarmed.” Ranmaru would grunt. “Collar’s been left no where near here. Ship, too. No one has any idea where either of us are. We’re not here to fight.”

“I find that hard to believe. You’ve taken our people before.” Another man would snap. 

“And I’m sorry.” Tokiya’s shocked by how genuine his statement is. “This might not mean anything, but I’ve known about this location for years. ‘M the only one that knows. Never told anyone about it.”

“Please don’t kill him.” Tokiya hasn’t moved from his place, pressed to Ranmaru’s side. His eyes are on the weapon against Ranmaru’s chest, seeming more concerned than Ranmaru is.

“Why are _you_ defending him? You were a repair model, right?” A second female in the group would look at Tokiya, with far less hostility than they were looking at Ranmaru with. 

“He’s not like them.” Tokiya’s eyes are burning with angry tears. “He’s never treated me like I was lesser than him, and he’s never used his ranking to do cruel things. It was his idea to take off our collars because he saw how terribly the lower ranked robots were treated. He admitted, less than a few minutes before we found you that _you_ had it right and that we had been on the wrong side.” Tokiya would blink back his tears, but his voice had remained steady. Defensive. “He made mistakes. We’re bound to, blindly following orders. But I would defend him with my life. And if you can’t accept us, I can understand, but please don’t kill him.”

“You said you were unarmed?” One of the men would say, his voice gruff. Ranmaru would nod, and the man would look over at his men. “Go check ‘em.”

Tokiya and Ranmaru would both get a pat down, but true to Ranmaru’s word, neither of them had any weapons. 

“This is a trial period.” The very first woman that spoke would speak up again. She seemed to be the leader. “If you do anything suspicious, we’ll kick you out. If you do anything _dangerous_ , we’ll have you killed.” 

“Thank you.” Ranmaru’s voice is quiet. Tokiya would bow, though his hand hasn’t left Ranmaru’s arm.

They would be led to an empty tent, with one cot, and one beat up computer. The cot is just big enough for both of them, and it’s in the middle of the town. It’s evident quickly that they were placed there so that the group could keep an eye on them. They would have been brought an extra pair of cables and would have had the rules explained to them. 

When the sun goes down, they were to stay in their tent. If they were told to do anything, they were expected to do it. They would be given jobs- though not by themselves, and they were to listen to what the leader of the job instructed them to do. If they refused to follow instructions, they would have to find somewhere else. 

That night, they would have settled on their cot, pressed against each other and plugged in. “‘M gonna stay up tonight.” Ranmaru would mumble, his hand resting on Tokiya’s lower back. “You can sleep.”

“If you’re staying up, I can stay up with you.” Tokiya would say, his head tucked underneath Ranmaru’s chin. The cot was much smaller than it had seemed, but even with the hostile reaction they were getting, it was better. “You surprised me.” Tokiya would admit quietly. “I… think this is better. Not being a part of… everything else. It’s strange, to not be afraid of just getting… deactivated, or hurt, without even knowing what I did wrong. I hate that you’re in danger.” Tokiya’s voice would break. “But I hope that we can fix it. I want to _live_ with you. I want to be happy with you, and I think this is the best chance we have. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I should’a done this a long fuckin’ time ago. They gave us a chance, ‘n that’s gonna be enough. I’m not gonna ruin this for ya.”

“I didn’t-”

“I know. I know that’s not what you meant, babe, but I still mean it.”

Tokiya would sigh, but he’d press a kiss to Ranmaru’s chest. “You’re not going to ruin this. Even if we have to leave- we’re together. No matter what happens, that’s enough. And I really mean that. No one cares about me. To have you care is beyond words for me. I love you, Ranmaru.”

“I love you, too, Toki. We’re gonna figure all ‘a this out, and we’re gonna be together for a long time.”

They slowly would have started joining the community. Ranmaru would still get looks, but Tokiya would stay close, and no one would bother him. 

The woman, the leader, Seiko, would have assigned jobs, a few days after they had joined. 

“‘M not denying your orders-” Ranmaru’s voice is gruff. He doesn’t mean for it to be, but they had separated him and Tokiya, and he didn’t like it. “But with all due respect, I’d like ‘t stay near my partner.”

Seiko’s face would turn angry, and Tokiya would tense. “Now that your collar is off- he’s not your _partner_ , anymore. He’s his own _person_. We don’t have repair bots following us around here.”

Tokiya would blink, a bit stunned, and then before Ranmaru could speak up, Tokiya would shake his head. “No, no- that’s not what he means.” Tokiya’s defense is quick, but his face would burn a bright red. “Not that kind of partner. An… emotional partnership, not an assigned one.”

Seiko would get quiet for a second, a look of surprise on her face. Her attention is on Tokiya. “Really?”

“Yes.” Tokiya had already been stuck to Ranmaru’s side, but his hand would find Ranmaru’s, and Ranmaru’s finger would lace through Tokiya’s, almost naturally- though his grip on Tokiya’s hand is protective. “We’ve been emotional partners for years. I know it isn’t a conventional thing, but that’s why we’re here. He really does care for me, and not in any artificial way.” Tokiya would bow. “So, I too, respectfully ask that we be assigned to the same job. I’m willing to do harder jobs, should it keep me near him.”

Seiko would have been stunned, and another man, Kei, would have spoken up. “I didn’t think it was possible for robots to like each other.” His voice is skeptical.

“I love him.” Tokiya’s voice is firm as he straightens up. “I don’t understand it, but I’m not sure that humans really do, either. If we can feel pain, or anger, or joy, we are capable of any other emotion.”

Silence would have fallen for a long moment, until Seiko would have finally given them permission to stay on the same team while they worked. It certainly made Tokiya feel better, too, because Ranmaru still would have been given dirty looks. Tokiya isn’t sure what might have happened if he weren’t there.

As their stay would extend, Tokiya would be accepted far more than Ranmaru would be. Ranmaru would be ignored, at best, and insulted, at worst. 

One day, Tokiya had been approached by a group, who had immediately only focused on Tokiya and had ignored Ranmaru. “Hey, we’re having a meetup later. Did you want to come?”

Tokiya’s eyebrows would furrow. “We’re not allowed out of our tent after sundown.” Tokiya would take Ranmaru’s hand, to further his point. 

“Well, yeah, he’s not.” The leader of the group would have glanced at Ranmaru, dismissively. “Those rules don’t really matter to you.”

Tokiya’s face would darken. “No. I won’t be making it. Come on, Ran.” Tokiya would grip Ranmaru’s hand tightly, pulling Ranmaru towards their tent. Ranmaru can feel Tokiya’s hand shake. 

When they’re in the tent, Tokiya would roughly close the doors, and he’d rub harshly at his eyes. Ranmaru’s arms would wrap around Tokiya’s waist from behind, his mouth near Tokiya’s ear. “Jesus- what happened?” Ranmaru’s thumb would brush over Tokiya’s stomach in a way that’s meant to be calming. When it doesn’t work, Ranmaru’s hand would move onto Tokiya’s stomach under his shirt, and Tokiya can feel Ranmaru press his lips against Tokiya’s neck. “Calm down, babe. Talk ‘t me.”

Tokiya’s angry shaking hasn’t stilled, and his voice is enraged. “For as high and mighty as they think they are- it pisses me off, to hear them treat you like that. It’s not even you anymore! They talk like rankings don’t matter to them, but they’re just flipping it! It’s a group of people that were treated poorly for their low ranking, and now they’re treating _you_ poorly for your ranking. You’ve done nothing but help them so far, and they still think it’s alright to treat you like this! I’m livid, Ran! They’re no better than the people they’re trying to condemn!” Tears would have spilled over, onto his cheeks, and his trembling had only worsened. Ranmaru would turn him, pulling Tokiya into a tight hug, and Tokiya would hold onto Ranmaru’s shirt, finally breaking into an angry sob. “It’s not fair, Ran. If anyone deserves to be respected, especially between us, it’s you. You were misled, and you did some back things-” Tokiya’s voice would break. “But I did, too. And I would bet that they all have, too. And you’re not even angry! And it’s worse, because this isn’t even the worst thing that they’ve told you! And you’ve been holding yourself back to make this work for us, and you don’t deserve any of it!”

Ranmaru would rub Tokiya’s back, and he’d sigh. “It’s a ‘lil hypocritical. ‘M not that worried.” Ranmaru’s voice would drop, but it’s almost a bit teasing. “Can’t mind their opinions when I’ve got pretty shit opinions of them, too.” Ranmaru would sigh, again, and his voice would become more serious. “But it’s gonna eventually change. Can’t say if it’s gonna be better or worse- but something’s gonna break, Toki, and they’re either gonna accept me, or they’re gonna take it a step further and we’re gonna have to leave. I can handle their dirty looks and stupid comments- but don’t get me wrong.” Ranmaru would pull back, and even though Tokiya’s face must be a mess, Ranmaru would kiss him. Tokiya’s arms would move to wrap around Ranmaru’s neck, to pull himself closer. Ranmaru would pull away, just barely, and he’d give Tokiya a soft smile that would make Tokiya’s breath catch. “‘S nice to hear you get angry over me. I really lucked out, eh? Gettin’ you as a partner.”

“Our fates were meant to intertwine. I’m eternally grateful that they did.” Tokiya would lean forward, pressing another soft kiss to Ranmaru’s lips. His hands move, to cup Ranmaru’s face. Tokiya would get a small, crooked smile on his face. “And you’ve been unbelievable, darling. For reasons upon reasons, we wouldn’t be here if not for you. Thank you.”

Ranmaru would tilt his head, to press a kiss against Tokiya’s forehead. “Why don’t we lay down for a while, yeah? Just relax with each other for a while.”

“I’d like that.” Tokiya’s shaking had slowed by this point, and with Ranmaru, it was possible to push back his anger. He definitely couldn’t have walked out of his tent, now, though. Ranmaru was the reason Tokiya had managed to calm down at all. 

So they’d lay, nearly on top of each other, on the small cot. 

Two days later, they would have been searching for supplies in a group of five, including the both of them, when they would have been discovered. 

There had been three collared robots- not combat models, but capable of fighting. If Ranmaru hadn’t been with them, they likely wouldn’t have made it out, but Ranmaru would have taken down all three of them. 

That night, they would have been moved to a more permanent situation. A larger tent, with two cots that they would have pushed together. The computer wasn’t much nicer, but it was immediately obvious that it was much faster at charging- which was good, because Tokiya would have needed to repair Ranmaru. 

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Tokiya would sigh, plugging in Ranmaru. “I’ve almost gotten used to you not being in danger.”

“Think this was our break, though, Toki.” Ranmaru would have given a tired grin. “Notice how I didn’t get any dirty looks? Only took me literally fuckin’ puttin’ my life on the line. It’s somethin’, I guess.”

“Well, they’d better appreciate it, because I certainly would. Now lay back, will you?”

Ranmaru would chuckle, but he would, and Tokiya would have begun his repairs. There would have been noise at the front of his new tent before he had finished, and while he would pull himself away, he’s careful to hover over the button to wake Ranmaru up. 

He didn’t like waking Ranmaru up in the middle of a repair- mostly because he was still _working_ , which meant that Ranmaru still wasn’t perfectly functional, but he could, without Ranmaru being in intense pain. And he didn’t like the idea of people being around Ranmaru while he was off. 

“Tokiya? Ranmaru? Can I enter?” It’s Seiko. 

“Come in. Though, if you could, I’d appreciate you staying near the door.” Tokiya’s response is cautious. Seiko would step in, taking in the situation. She wouldn’t approach the cots. 

“I had just stopped by to thank him, though I see I’ve come at a bad time.”

“I’d be happy to pass along the message.”

Seiko would nod, seemingly a bit hesitant. After a second, she would simply bow her head, and she’d exit the tent. 

Tokiya would frown, but he’d finish the repairs. He wouldn’t wake Ranmaru up. 

They normally didn’t both sleep at the same time. Tokiya wasn’t sure when the last time Ranmaru actually slept was, because Ranmaru was too good at getting Tokiya to sleep. It’s likely because they still maintenanced each other regularly, but Ranmaru had kept to his word of letting Tokiya check Ranmaru first, and he often would activate Tokiya’s sleep cycle after checking on Tokiya. 

Tokiya didn’t think Ranmaru slept because Ranmaru didn’t trust the others to leave them alone during the night. Tokiya, after today’s events, felt safer- but that night, he would be the one to watch over Ranmaru. 

“You were thanked last night.” Tokiya would muse, petting through Ranmaru’s hair as he’d wake. “The leader of the village stopped by.”

“It’s a nice sentiment.” Ranmaru would sigh, and he’d turn, moving up on the bed, bumping noses with Tokiya. “But wake me up before ya let people in the tent next time, will ya?” 

“You say that like I’m not capable of taking on an entire village of robots by myself.” Tokiya would tease. “Don’t worry. I was ready to wake you up. It just wasn’t necessary.”

“It’s mornin’, isn’t it?” Ranmaru would grumble. “You’re supposed ‘t let me check on ya, y’know.” His voice is scolding, and Tokiya would sigh. 

“You need to sleep sometimes, you know.”

“Need is a strong word.” 

Tokiya would give an amused huff, swatting at Ranmaru’s side playfully. “Well you can check on me tonight.”

“Or I could check on ya right now.”

Tokiya would roll his eyes, and he’d stick his tongue out at Ranmaru, which would make the man laugh, which, in turn, would make Tokiya laugh. Tokiya would lean forward, kissing Ranmaru, and when he’d pull back, Tokiya would smile. “I really think you may have done it. I think we might actually be able to stay here- without me picking a fight with someone disrespecting you.”

“Cute.” Ranmaru would narrow his eyes, but his expression is soft. “But you’re not changing the topic. Lay back. I’m gonna try to check on ya fast.”

Tokiya would groan, but he’d let Ranmaru get up, to go to the computer. 

When Tokiya would wake up, Ranmaru would be unplugging him. “You’re fine. Figured y’would be, but it’s better ‘t check.”

“You’re not wrong. But I suppose we should be heading to work.”

The dirty, distrustful looks towards Ranmaru would have stopped, and he would have been thanked- quite a few times that day. He’d have just grunted and nodded, but there’s a look of relief on Tokiya’s face when he hears the gratitude. 

Ranmaru wouldn’t have been completely accepted right away, but through time, they would have started speaking to him. Tokiya is no longer the only one acknowledged. 

Ranmaru and Tokiya would have eventually gotten a job- watching the perimeter, and it would have been just them. The rule of not being out after sun down would be dropped. 

And, after enough time of being spoken to like a _person_ , when the two of them would lie down at night, they’d both go to sleep.


End file.
